Vallejo crews helping fight Napa County wildfire

Two Vallejo Fire Department brush unit crews and a strike team leader are helping fight the mostly out-of-control Butts wildfire in Napa County, a Vallejo Fire Department spokesman said.

"We sent two Vallejo crews with four personnel each, attached to a Strike Team, and we also sent a Strike Team leader," spokesman Arthur Gonzales said.

"It's very smoky, hot, about 90 degrees, and windy. Visibility is poor," he said.

The Vallejo contingent was initially assigned to protect structures in a neighborhood near Lake Berryessa, Gonzales said.

"No houses were lost there," he said.

Vallejo sent two rigs, while Benicia, Dixon and Vacaville each sent one to help battle the growing Pope Valley area fire in Napa County, Battalion Chief Cliff Campbell said.

"We've been on the fire line all night on structure protection and trying to control the fire," Campbell said. "Last night it had burned 2,500 acres but as of 7 a.m. (Wednesday), the fire had grown about 700 acres to 3,200 acres, and is about 30 percent contained." This means there's a fire break around about 30 percent of the fire, Gonzales said.

The blaze destroyed five structures with 380 more threatened, Campbell said.

Officials say the fire is burning northeast into Lake County, but also that cooler, more humid weather expected could help firefighters gain control.

Having been on the scene since Tuesday, the Vallejo crews rested part of Wednesday, and planned to redeploy at 7 a.m. Thursday, Gonzales said. In cases like this, crews could stay on the fire line up to two weeks before being switched with fresh ones, Campbell said.

But, even as Vallejo fire crews headed to Napa County to help fight that fire, two back-to-back vehicle fires broke out back home, Campbell said.

The first, which was reported about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, involved a Chevy Suburban in the 200 block of Ruby Lane, which spread to vegetation near the Cal Maritime campus before being extinguished, Campbell said.

The car fire, which appeared to have been electrical, was reported immediately after Vallejo crews were sent to Napa County, he said. The second, which also appeared to be electrical, was reported at about 6:15 p.m. near Magazine and Pine streets, Campbell said. Both were knocked down before damaging any structures, he said.